Cepheus

Cep star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)

One of the 88 IAU constellations.

Etymology and History

The Greek constellation ...

Origin of Constellation

Babylonian

Kugel Globe (1st c.BCE): Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Cepheus, drawing by SMH 2024.

Greco-Roman

Aratos

[179] Nor all unnamed shall rest he hapless family of Iasid Cepheus. For their name, too has come unto heaven, for that they were near akin to Zeus. Cepheus himself is set behind the Bear Cynosura,

[308?] Then, too, at the close of night Cynosura’s head runs very high, but Orion just before the dawn wholly sets and Cepheus from hand to waist.

(Kidd 1997)

Almagest Κηφεύς

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Κηφέως ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Cepheus
1	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ποδός	The star on the right leg	kap Cep
2	ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ποδός	The one on the left leg	gam Cep
3	ὁ ὑπὸ τὴν ῥώνηη ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ πλευροῦ	The star under the belt on the right side	bet Cep
4	ὁ ὑπὲρ τὸν δεξιὸν ὤμου ἀπτόμευος.	The star·over the tight shoulder, which touches it	alf Cep
5	ὁ ὑπὲρ τὸν δεξιὸυ ἀγκῶνα ἀπτόμερος	The star over the right elbow, which touches it	eta Cep
6	ὁ ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν ἀγκῶνα καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπτόμενος.	The one under that elbow, which also touches it	tet Cep
	ὁ ἐν τῷ στήθει	The star in the chest	xi Cep
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ βραχύουος	The star on the left arm	iot Cep
	τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς τιάρας 7’ ὁ νότιος.	The southernmost of the 3 stars on the tiara	eps Cep
	ὁ μέσος τῶν τριῶν.	The middle one of the three	zet Cep
	ὁ βορειότερος τῶν τριῶν.	The northernmost of the three	lam Cep
	ἀστέρες ιἄ, ὥν γ’ μεγέθους ἄ, δ’ ξ,εη.	11 stars, l of the third magnitude, 7 of the fourth, 3 of the fifth
	Τῶν περὶ Κηφέα ἀμορφώτων.	Stars around Cepheus outside the constellation
	ὁ προηγούμενος τῆς τιάρας.	The one in advance of the tiara	mu Cep
	ὁ ἐπόμενος τῇ τιάρα	The one to the rear or the tiara	del Cep
	ἀμόρφωτοι β, ὧν δ’ μεγέθους ἄ, ε α	2 stars outside the constellation, 1 of the fourth magnitude, 1 of the fifth

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)